Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Mathematical Bridge is the popular name of a wooden footbridge in the southwest of central Cambridge. This bridge is built with entirely straight timbers, though it maintains an arch shape. This makes for some interesting architectural study while punting down the river below it. The bridge spans a 50-foot river using multiple shorter lengths of timber.

The Cambridge Backs are an area of central Cambridge, along the banks of the river Cam, occupied by some of the most famous and prestigious colleges that form Cambridge University. It is a stretch of reclaimed land that runs along the back of the riverside colleges alongside the river Cam. It provides stunning views throughout the year, and is covered with a blanket of daffodils and crocuses during the spring.

The Corpus Clock is one of the most distinctive public monuments in Cambridge and has been admired by residents and tourists since its inauguration in 2008. As a relatively new feature, it certainly stands out against the historic brickwork with its gold plated face, with many dubbing it as ‘the strangest clock in the world.’

King’s College Chapel is the oldest surviving building within the College site and perhaps the most iconic building in Cambridge. Work on this Chapel only started five years after King’s College was founded by Henry VI in 1441. Construction of the chapel started in 1446 and forced the relocation of Christ’s College – known then as God’s House, which was, at that time, on the site where King’s chapel now stands. It was one of the iconic building in this area and is attracted by many tourists.

St. Bene’t’s Church stands on the eponymous street, close to King’s and Corpus Christi colleges, and The Backs, an area of parkland around the River Cam to the west. The church is dedicated to Saint Benedict of Nursia, the founder of the Benedictine order of monasticism. It is the oldest church in Cambridgeshire as well as the oldest building in Cambridge.

The Fitzwilliam Museum was founded in 1816 with the most generous bequest of Viscount Fitzwilliam to the University of Cambridge, where he had studied. His founding collections of paintings, prints, manuscripts and library have been built upon over nearly two hundred years. Nowadays, the extraordinary Fitzwilliam Museum houses over half a million artworks and artefacts in a magnificent Grade I listed building in the heart of historic Cambridge.